Dadds boosts undefeated women

With Northeast graduate Debbi Dadds leading the way, Anne Arundel Community College's women's basketball team remained undaunted -- and undefeated -- through a difficult stretch of games.

On Saturday, the Pioneers (14-0) received 23 points and 17 rebounds from Dadds in a 69-60 victory at Catonsville.

Chesapeake graduate Denise Perrone and Southern grad Lindee Sisk each had 13 points, as Anne Arundel took a 30-29 lead at halftime, increased the margin to 10 and then held on despite losing Perrone and Arundel grad Alina Smith to fouls late in the second half.

"That was a battle all the way to the last five minutes," said coach Tom Smith. "If they had made a few more foul shots, it would have been a battle right down the stretch."

Perrone left Anne Arundel's next game, as well, but for a different -- and more serious -- reason.

She sprained her left ankle with about four minutes left in Monday's 76-51 rout of visiting Hagerstown, and Smith hopes she will be available for Sunday's stern test at Potomac State.

Perrone is averaging around 10 points a game.

"She was backing up and her ankle popped," Smith said.

Trainer Jim Fontaine applied ice to the ankle. "It's a chronic bad ankle," he said. "The last time this happened in December, she was out one week. Our goal is to get her back for Potomac State. She definitely won't be practicing before that."

Dadds again led Anne Arundel in scoring Monday with 24 points and also pulled down 12 rebounds. Sisk added 23 points.

"Hagerstown is 6-13, but they've been very competitive with everybody they've played," Smith said. "They've been in a lot of tough games. They've only lost by a few points to some really good teams. We just played real well against them.

"Our defense has really picked it up when it's had to and that's caused a lot of problems for the other teams. Alina Smith and Stephanie Carpenter are doing an outstanding job. Those two and Denise are covering the guards on the other teams and Debbi is doing a real good job on the center. Hagerstown was really shook up from the pressure."

The Pioneers' game at Baltimore City CC on Tuesday night was postponed because of icy conditions.